Kintar to Be Swapped for "Israeli" Soldiers in 1st Phase
Source: Al-Manar TV, 01-07-2008
The pending prisoner exchange deal between Hizbullah and ‘Israel' is to be carried out in two phases, the Kuwaiti news agency has quoted Lebanese officials as saying.
In the first phase, Hizbullah is to transfer to ‘Israel' remains of ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers killed
in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, and ‘Israel' will transfer the bodies of Hizbullah and Palestinian resistance fighters.
The next day, Hizbullah will hand over captive ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, and, in return, will receive detainee Samir Kintar and four Hizbullah resistance fighters.
The second phase is to be carried out a month later, with ‘Israel' releasing a number of Palestinian detainees, who are likely to be women and minors. ‘Israeli' news reports have indicated that the first phase could begin this coming week.
Sources in the ‘Israeli' Prime Minister's Bureau said Monday night that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would like to speed up the negotiations with Hamas over ‘Israeli' captured soldier Gilad Shalit.
Olmert has instructed all those involved in the negotiations to do what is necessary so that the talks can progress quickly, as soon as Hamas gives ‘Israel' a new list of detainees it wants released under the deal.
Meanwhile, Ofer Dekel, the ‘Israeli' official responsible for negotiating for the release of Shalit, as well as the two ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers held by Hizbullah, is expected to travel to Germany this week in order to conclude the final arrangements for the swap deal with Hezbollah. The ‘Israeli' negotiator is still waiting for details from the German mediator, Gerhard Konrad, before he leaves for Germany.
Prior to Dekel's trip, ‘Israel' and Hizbullah are expected to sign ¬ separately - the agreement on the prisoner swap, before representatives of the German mediator.
'Israeli' daily Haaretz said that neither ‘Israel' nor the German mediator has received the Hizbullah report regarding the group's efforts to locate downed navigator Ron Arad. However, Hizbullah informed the mediator in general terms what the document will include. ‘Israel' had given Hizbullah, through Konrad, detailed questions on the nature of the report.
According to the ‘Israeli' daily, Hizbullah is expected to state in the report that it tried to locate Arad but that the navigator is dead, and the group has not managed to find out where he is buried.
Sources close to the negotiations with Hizbullah said that the initial responses from Lebanon suggest that the group has accepted the current framework of the deal. However, they said there still may be last-minute obstacles - and until the prisoner exchange takes place, the case will remain open.
The prisoner exchange is expected to be carried out at the Naqoura crossing, on the border between Occupied Palestine and Lebanon. Barring any unexpected delays, the deal is expected to be concluded late next week.
INFORMATION ON RON ARAD
The Kuwaiti account differs from ‘Israel's' reckoning of the stages of the deal, as approved in a cabinet session on Sunday. In ‘Israel's' view, the signing of the deal, expected within days, will the first of four stages of the swap.
As part of the second stage of the swap agreement approved by the cabinet, Hizbullah will hand over a report said to detail the organization's efforts to obtain information on Arad. Sources in ‘Israel' said the swap would probably take place by July 12, when Hizbullah is planning a victory ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the Second Lebanon War.
The pending prisoner exchange deal between Hizbullah and ‘Israel' is to be carried out in two phases, the Kuwaiti news agency has quoted Lebanese officials as saying.
In the first phase, Hizbullah is to transfer to ‘Israel' remains of ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers killed
in the 2006 Second Lebanon War, and ‘Israel' will transfer the bodies of Hizbullah and Palestinian resistance fighters.
The next day, Hizbullah will hand over captive ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, and, in return, will receive detainee Samir Kintar and four Hizbullah resistance fighters.
The second phase is to be carried out a month later, with ‘Israel' releasing a number of Palestinian detainees, who are likely to be women and minors. ‘Israeli' news reports have indicated that the first phase could begin this coming week.
Sources in the ‘Israeli' Prime Minister's Bureau said Monday night that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would like to speed up the negotiations with Hamas over ‘Israeli' captured soldier Gilad Shalit.
Olmert has instructed all those involved in the negotiations to do what is necessary so that the talks can progress quickly, as soon as Hamas gives ‘Israel' a new list of detainees it wants released under the deal.
Meanwhile, Ofer Dekel, the ‘Israeli' official responsible for negotiating for the release of Shalit, as well as the two ‘Israeli' occupation soldiers held by Hizbullah, is expected to travel to Germany this week in order to conclude the final arrangements for the swap deal with Hezbollah. The ‘Israeli' negotiator is still waiting for details from the German mediator, Gerhard Konrad, before he leaves for Germany.
Prior to Dekel's trip, ‘Israel' and Hizbullah are expected to sign ¬ separately - the agreement on the prisoner swap, before representatives of the German mediator.
'Israeli' daily Haaretz said that neither ‘Israel' nor the German mediator has received the Hizbullah report regarding the group's efforts to locate downed navigator Ron Arad. However, Hizbullah informed the mediator in general terms what the document will include. ‘Israel' had given Hizbullah, through Konrad, detailed questions on the nature of the report.
According to the ‘Israeli' daily, Hizbullah is expected to state in the report that it tried to locate Arad but that the navigator is dead, and the group has not managed to find out where he is buried.
Sources close to the negotiations with Hizbullah said that the initial responses from Lebanon suggest that the group has accepted the current framework of the deal. However, they said there still may be last-minute obstacles - and until the prisoner exchange takes place, the case will remain open.
The prisoner exchange is expected to be carried out at the Naqoura crossing, on the border between Occupied Palestine and Lebanon. Barring any unexpected delays, the deal is expected to be concluded late next week.
INFORMATION ON RON ARAD
The Kuwaiti account differs from ‘Israel's' reckoning of the stages of the deal, as approved in a cabinet session on Sunday. In ‘Israel's' view, the signing of the deal, expected within days, will the first of four stages of the swap.
As part of the second stage of the swap agreement approved by the cabinet, Hizbullah will hand over a report said to detail the organization's efforts to obtain information on Arad. Sources in ‘Israel' said the swap would probably take place by July 12, when Hizbullah is planning a victory ceremony to mark the second anniversary of the Second Lebanon War.
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